Automatic stationary fire-extinguisher.



N0.744,o57.' PATENTBD Nov.17,.19oa.

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AUTOMATIC STATIONARY FIRE XTING'UISHER.

APPLIGATION nLBDHDBo. e, 1962;

H0. MODEL.

UNITED STATES Vlrfrnnrr Fatented November 17, 1903.

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WILLlAM ESTY, OF LACONIA, NEW' IIAMPSHRE.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,057, dated November 17, 1903.

Application filed December 9, 1902 Serial No. 134.489. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom 'it mrtg/concern.-

Be it known that i, WILLIAM EsTY, of Laconia, in the county of Belknap and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Stationary Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic releasing device for the automatic sprinklers of stationary fire-extinguishing apparatus; and it consists in areleasing device of the strut7 type-that is to say, the releasing device is composed of a plurality of parts united together by fusible solder to constitute a strut which holds a valve closed, and when the strut is disintegrated as a result of the fusing of the solder the parts of which the strut are composed become separated and fali entirely away from the nozzle, from which the extinguishing fluid then pours.V

For the purpose of illustrating and explaining the improved strut I have shown it in the accompanying drawings as used in connection with a frame, valve, and distributor of the kind set forth in my pending application for Letter Patent of the United States, filed February 15, 1902, Serial No. 94,199; but it will be understood that the improved strut can be used in other constructions of sprinklers.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view, partly in section, of a spri-nkler equipped with the improved strut. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the sprinkler, the struts, however, being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a side view of the improved strut as thc same appears before the parts are united by fusible solder. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the strut. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the strut. is a detail view of a bent wire constituting one of the parts of the strut. Fig. 7 is aside view of the body member of the strut. Fig. S is an edge view of the body member of the strut. Fig. 9 is a front side view of the lever member of the strut. Fig. l0 is a rear side view of the lever member of the strut. Fig. 11 is an edge view of the lever member of the strut. All the figures are drawn to a scale,

and Figs. 3 to 11 aredra'wn to a scale twice as large as that to which Figs. 1 and 2 are drawn, Figs. 3 to 11 being drawn to an enlarged scale for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the construction of the strut.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the sprinkler comprises a frame A, having a water-discharge nozzle B; valve C, closing the nozzle; spring D, united vto the valve outside of the nozzle; a distributer E; a nut F, securing the distributerv in place, and two struts G G, interposed between the distributer and the ends of the spring D, the struts maintaining the spring under tension and keeping the valve closed. When the struts (oreither of them) are disintegrated by heat, the spring reacts, tearing the valve away from the nozzle,'and thereupon the struts, the spring, and the val ve all fall'away from the frame, leaving an unobstructed passage for the outflow of water through the nozzle.

In allot the respectsv thus far mentioned.

the sprinkler is similar to the sprinkler set forth in the aforesaid application, Serial No.

94,199, to which reference may be had for lfuller description.

In the particular sprinkler' illustrated there are two struts G G employed; but it will be understood that a single strut may be employed and with other types of sprinkler.

The present improvements relate to the construction of the strut,and the details thereof are iilustrated in Figs. 3 to ll, inclusive, of the drawings.

The Vstrut is composed ot' three membersnamely, a body member H, a lever member I, and a bent wire J. The wire is not essential to the broader aspects of the strut, but is preferably em`ployed,and the strut when equipped with the wire possesses distinct advantages. j

displacement of the strut when the sprinkler is installed.

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The lever member I of the strut has a foot e and a central tongue f. The foot is recessed at one edge, as shown at g, in order to it the end of the spring D, and thus prevent the accidenlal displacement of the strut when the sprinkler is installed. Provisions similar to the projections CZ and the groove g can be employed to keep the strut in place whatever may be the construction of the sprinkler in other respects. The foot e of the lever member has alongside the central tonguef rounded faces h, which are adapted to t within the recesses l) at the ends of the legs c of the body member H, these projections and recesses constituting a hinged joint between the body and lever members of the strut. The central tongue f of the lever member fits within the central slot a of the body member, and normally the outer planes of said central tongue are substantially liush with the outer planes of the body member. Preferably the central tongue f of the lever member slightly tapers from its base to its free end, thus providing gradually-enlarging spaces between the outer edges of said tongue and the inner edges of the legs of the body member, as indic-ated in Fig. 3, these spaces being adapted to be filled with the fusible solder. When the body and lever members are brought together, as shown in Fig. 3, a gap z'- is left between the free end of tonguefand the inner margin of the slot a, which also is adapted to receive the fusible solder.

Preferably the multiplying-lever J is also employed, this being a bent wire comprising along shankj and a bent linger 7o. The shank vy' lies within a groovel in the outer face of the lever member, so that said shank does not project beyond the general outer face of the strut. The finger 7c extends through the opening t' at the upper end of the slot a and projects slightly beyond the inner face of the strut, as shown in Fig.5,the said finger bearing against the body member at this point.

When the body member, lever member, and multiplying-lever of the strut have been assembled, as shown in Fig. 3, 4, and ,5, they are united by the fusible solder, which fills the open spaces 4between the tonguef and the legs c and which also usually flows into the groove Z, surrounding the shank j. Of course the solder when applied is not always uniform in appearance; but itsgeneral appearance is indicated in Fig. l, as shown at m. The outer face of the strut, however, after being soldered together is substantially fiush, and the inner face is also substantially vflush except for the slight projection of the finger 7c and such portion of the solder as may iiow around' the same. The supporting end of one of the members (as shown the lever member) is bent on one side, as best shown in Figs. 5 and l1, so that the line of strain is at one side of the joint between the lever and body members. Consequently when the fusible solder melts the body and lever members act as a toggle to swing the said two members on their joint, thus removing the tongue f from the slot a quickly and fully, so that there is no possibility of the parts of the strut sticking together by the freezing of the solder, whereby the certainty of action of the sprinkler is insured. This lever action is compounded by the multiplying-lever J. The strut as a whole thus comprises a double lever, which enables a very powerful leverage to be employed with a low-test solder, which is a great ad vantage, since such low-test solder-that is, a solder which melts at a low degree of heat--has very little strength to hold the parts of the strut together against the normal pressure thereon.

Owing to the circumstance that the lever member fits within the slot of the body member, the strut as a whole is very much thinner than struts having two members lying upon each other face to face, and consequently the strut is rendered very sensitive. This result is further helped by reason of the circumstance that the solder is always exposed to the direct action of the heat and. does not require the heat to pass through the material of the strut, as is necessary where the solder lies between opposing faces of strut members. As the working joints are all iush and smooth there are no projecting parts that the corrosive action of acids and gases can get at, and these joints are lubricated by the solder when it melts. This is true not only of the joint on which the body and lever members rock, into the edges of which a portion of the solder flows, but is also true of the spaces between the finger f and the legs c c and is likewise true of the spaces surrounding the multiplying-lever J.

I claim as my inventionl. A releasing device, composed of a body member, a lever member, and a multiplyinglever, the body member and lever member being jointed together, the body member having a slot, the lever member-having a tongue entering said slot and a groove on one side, and the multiplying-lever having a shank fitting said groove and a finger extending through the space between the free end of the linger of the'lever member and the adjacent margin of the slot of the body member, said finger also bearing upon the body member, said several parts being united by fusible solder.

2. A releasing device having, in combination, a body member, a lever member, and a multiplying-lever, the body member and lever member being jointed together, the body member having aslot, the lever member having a tongue entering said slot, and a multiplying-lever having a shank extending along one side of the tongue of the lever member and having a finger extending through the space between the free end of the finger of the lever member and the adjacent margin of the slot of the body member, said iinger also IOC IIO

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bearing on the body member, and said several parts being united by fusible solder.

3. A releasing device consisting of a strut composed of a body member and a lever member jointed together and united directly by fusible solder, the body member bearing against the short arm of the lever member, and an intermediate multiplying-lever the long arm of which is united by fusible solder to the, long arm of said lever member, and the short arm of which bears against the body member.

4. A releasing device composed of a body member having a slot, and a second member having a tongue enteringand extending along said slot, said members when nested together being secured together ley-fusible solder oocupying thev spaces between the margins of said slot and the tongue.

5. A releasing device composed of a body member and a lever member jointed together,

the body member having a slot, and the lever Y witnesses.

WILLAM ESTY.

Witnesses:

F. A. PHELPS, v GEORGE W. SHERWELL. 

